Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Chemistry In Life Fifty-third Edition

As you might have been expected, I'm on a really good mood these days, especially since Kimi's winning on Malaysian Grand Prix last Sunday. Well, too bad Felipe made a mistake that costs Ferrari 8 points...

Hello, nice to meet you again. It's the time for Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang, and this year, it's a special one. It's the 10th Malaysian Grand Prix, and people there put all the efforts to make the event succeeded. Even they made a television commercial starring kids that talking about Formula 1. Well, it was in Indonesian television, and I admit it was great. Funny, anyway, since it was kids. You know, I love kids, especially those smart kids. *grins*

Well, I didn't hear many gossips around about Malaysia, but again, it's a night race issue, though I'm not sure about it. There were also prediction of potential rain and thunderstorm, they said it's 20% chance of rain. As for the spectator there, I think I want to ask one of my friend's husband, Abah Dudy, who went to Malaysia this weekend. Since Saturday Qualifying I was chatting with Ambu Dian about his trip to Malaysia. Even she asked me to find Abah Dudy if he's being on TV. Not found, anyway. The TV didn't put him on camera. Anyhow, I bet it was so crowded. Yeah, it's 10th Malaysian Grand Prix.

Oh, and Ferrari's CEO Jean Todt was there, too.

Now, about the qualifying. Ferrari's Felipe Massa secured a pole position, over than half a minute in front of his team mate, the reigning world-champion Kimi Raikkonen. Third and fourth, respectively, were the McLaren duo, Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton. Unfortunately, the Silver Arrows boys were penalised 5 grid position for impeding another driver, namely Fernando Alonso and Nick Heidfeld. There was suspection if they intended to do so, but despite it was right or wrong, I heard FIA would change the qualifying regulation a bit. Maybe it was about the in-lap and out-lap speed, because when you're in your out-lap so slow to save your fuel, you can make another driver (especially those right behind you and still in their hot lap) crazy.

Back to the qualifying result. Since they were penalised, Heikki and Lewis moved down to eighth and ninth grid, respectively, and the original fourth until ninth people in qualifying were moved up, each two grid position. Jarno Trulli would start the race behind Felipe Massa, the pole sitter. Then there would be Robert Kubica, Nick Heidfeld, Mark Webber, and former world champion Fernando Alonso. On tenth position, there was Toyota's Timo Glock. Also suffering from penalty was Kazuki Nakajima, who was penalised 10 grid position for a collision with Robert Kubica during the previous Australian Grand Prix. He was qualified 18th, but he should start the race from the back of the grid aka the 22th grid.

Now, onto the lap per lap race report. The Ferrari duo made a decent start that day. Felipe toyed side-by-side with his team-mate Kimi, and eventually led the race. Kubica also had a lovely start, being third place after passing Trulli who moved down to fifth. Webber fourth, and Lewis sixth, just in front of Heikki. Meanwhile, Sebastien Bourdais aka Le Seb spun onto the gravel and had to be retired from the race. Yellow flag was on.

Just a few turns after the start, the McLaren's star Lewis Hamilton did a good move. He moved to fifth position after passing Trulli, while his Finnish team-mate moved down to eighth.

Around lap 2, Timo Glock spun. Unluckily for him, he had to be the second reitrement of the day. The next lap, Nico Rosberg entered the pit for a front wing change. Probably because an accident that involved him that I didn't see.

Lap 4, the race leader Felipe Massa set a fastest lap.

Lap 5, there was a fight between Nick Heidfeld, David Coulthard and Fernando Alonso on the track. At first, DC was sandwiched between Nick and Alonso, but as Nick smoothly made his way, DC and Alonso were still on a hard fight.

At the end of lap 6, Adrian Sutil was out of the race, followed by a yellow flag a few seconds after, just as the race leader started another lap. At the middle pack, Trulli was pushing Lewis so hard, but the 2007 best rookie put all his effort to maintain his position.

Lap 9, Kimi set a fastest lap, around 1:36.707.

Lap 11, Lewis seemed to have a problem with his tire. His front left wheel didn't really move like it should be, and the white part of it had (almost) run out while the white part of the right tire had not.

Lap 15, another fastest lap for the world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

Lap 16, Webber pitted, followed by Felipe. The Ferrari driver spent about 8.5 s in the white box. Nick and Trulli were also had a stop, while the new race leader set another fastest lap before entered the pit for a stop one lap after it. He spent 7.5 s and rejoined just in front of his team-mate Felipe.

Lap 18, the rising star Lewis Hamilton had a pit-stop. He seemed to had a problem with the tire, anyway, and it made him lost a few more time in the white box. 19.9 s, and rejoined in 11th place.

Lap 19, another McLaren-Mercedes driver pitted. The Finn had no problem, but the team had another plan for him that day, and he stopped in the white box 10.2 s. Robert Kubica still led the race, not yet to stop until the end of the lap. He was there for 8.2 s and rejoined third, just behind the Ferrari duo. Meanwhile, the McLaren star seemed to still having a problem with his tire, probably caused by a brake problem.

Lap 24, Nico Rosberg was passed by another car. I didn't really notice who was that, but it seemed to be a Honda. DC pitted, while there was also a pit analysis for the Ferrari duo. From what they showed to us, Kimi was slightly faster than Felipe.

Lap 26, while the reigning world champion still led the race, the rising star now moved onto seventh place. Pit analysis for McLaren drivers: Lewis was a lot slower than Heikki, after that tire problem.

Lap 27, Fernando Alonso was ninth, while his former team-mate Lewis was struggling behind Mark Webber.

It was one lap past the half of the race, and Super Aguri's Takuma Sato had to taste the gravel for a while. Luckily, he went through that problem and not retired.

Lap 30, Rosberg was attacking Fisichella. Kazuki Nakajima pitted and Rosberg also entered the white box just a few seconds after for 12.0 s.

Lap 31, Felipe spun out of the track and unfortunately, he was trapped in the gravel. He failed to rejoin into the track and it caused Ferrari to lost one of their driver. Fourth retirement of the day. Yellow flag was on, again.

Aaaand~ It's just 22 laps to go. The race leader and the remaining soul of Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen, leads by over 22s ahead of BMW's Robert Kubica. It wasn't raining yet, anyway.

19 laps to go, the lonely race leader (since there's no one in front of him and behind...) set a new fastest lap. The Ferrari crews seemed to be getting ready for his second pit-stop. And it was true. Kimi entered Ferrari's white box in the end of the lap, and rejoined in second place.

16 laps to go, while Trulli pitted, another Toro Rosso driver had to be retired. Sebastian Vettel's engine burned, and the fifth retirement of the day made the Malaysian Grand Prix a horrible day for the STR-Ferrari squad. Another yellow flag of the day. One lap after, Alonso pitted and rejoined in tenth.

12 laps remaining now, and Lewis Hamilton entered the white box after a team radio communication. 8.9 s, and he rejoined in front of Nick Heidfeld. One lap after him, his Finnish team-mate also entered the pit for another stop. The Finnish youngster spent 7.2 s in the white box and rejoined third.

10 laps towards the end of the race. Car 17 aka Honda's Rubens Barrichello again to taste a penalty after speeding in the pit lane. It was a drive through penalty now. Well, you might remember that he was penalised during the last race in Australia because an accident at the pit (it was a 10 s stop and go, anyway. CMIIW.).

5 laps remaining, Alonso was so close behind Webber, while Lewis moved closer and closer to Trulli.

It's the final lap, and Jenson Button slipped out of the track into the grass for a while. On the other side, Nick Heidfeld set the fastest lap of the day, just a few turns before the finish line.

And finally, the current world champion Kimi Raikkonen tasted his second victory in Sepang ahead of Robert Kubica and Heikki Kovalainen. The rest points earners as follow (fourth to eighth, respectively): Jarno Trulli, Lewis Hamilton, Nick Heidfeld, Mark Webber, and Fernando Alonso. No rain at all, anyway.

McLaren still leads the constructor championship with 24 points, with their Lewis Hamilton leading the driver championship with 14 points. However, Kimi's winning made him back in the hunt for the championship with 11 points. The points were also for the team, which was third in the championship now, behind BMW-Sauber.

Aaaand~ The articles from F1.com, as usual. Give full credit to those lovely F1 reporters.

There's no need to be No. 1
you've always been a very special only one.

I saw many kinds of flowers
lined up in front of the flowershop.
everyone has their favorite kinds
but all of them are pretty.
Without competing to see
which was the best among them,
they were standing
straight up proudly inside the bucket.

So why then do we humans
have to compare ourselves to one another?
Eventhough each and every person is different,
why do we want to be number one?

Yes we are each..
a flower unlike any other in the world
and each and everyone of us carries a different seed
We should focus all our efforts
on trying to make that flower bloom.

There are people who are
constantly unsure of what they want,
as they laugh a little put out.
It can't be helped, all those flowers,
that did everything they could to bloom, are pretty.
when at last that person comes out of the store,
they're holding a colorful bouquet
and I see them smiling happilly as they go by me.

I never knew their name but
that day they made me smile.
we too are like flowers that bloom in places
where no one pays any attention.

Yes we too are each...
a flower unlike any other in the world
and each and everyone of us carries a different seed
We should focus all our efforts
on trying to make that flower bloom.

Small flowers and big flowers,
none are the same as one another.
There's no need to be No. 1
you've always been a very special only one.